Congratulations to Meryl Streep on being awarded an Oscar for her brilliant performance as Margaret Thatcher in The Iron Lady for which she had previously been awarded a BAFTA. Although I haven’t seen the film, the excepts I have seen illustrate just what a fine actress Meryl Streep is and her portrayal of Baroness Thatcher seems very accurate. But for me this begs a question?
Should films like The Iron Lady be made, when the person concerned is still alive and when they are is what is called factional because some of the content has to be invented (i.e. fiction). It is not so bad when it is made with the full co-operation of the person concerned who can monitor exactly what is portrayed but so many of these types of film, made for the screen or for television are positively inaccurate and are, in my opinion, in very bad taste.
I think Meryl Streep is a fabulous actress, and the award is well deserved. I have seen the film and it is worth watching. It portrays Thatcher in a fair light, which to my eyes is not particularly partisan. My only problem with the plot is that it tries to cover so much time, and so many events, that it comes off in places as shallow. You can imagine people who were present at those events on both sides, muttering "yes, but there was more to it than that".
ReplyDeleteI share your concerns about making a "biopic" about someone who is still alive, especially when the makers have had to be creative (although I think they worked hard to fill in the gaps fairly, where "X happened, but we aren't sure how"). My main concern is the portrayal of her decline and dementia. I am particularly close to this subject at the moment, having a very elderly relative who was sharp as a needle until only 12 months ago, and whose mental decline due to ischaemia is quite obvious. I can understand why Thatchers family and friends have expressed unhappiness